You Gotta Ignite the Light (and let it shine)
by Maura16
Summary: Bucky used to tell Steve that the fireworks were for him on his birthday. Bucky also had a lot to say about going after what you want.


**Hi everyone! This is just a short story that I scribbled down in about 10 minutes, as opposed to the fifty other fics that I've been working on... But hopefully I'll have some of them finished and posted soon, and some of my in progress ones updated.**

**So anyway, I was on holiday in Canada, and funnily enough I was watching the fireworks for the 4****th**** of July (and wow if that isn't an excessive celebration...) and reading Avengers fanfics and I saw a tumblr post earlier on in the day and I just started thinking about young Bucky telling young Steve that all the fireworks were for him on his birthday...**

**Title is from Katy Perry's 'Firework'. I'm terrible with titles.**

_**You Gotta Ignite the Light (and let it shine)**_**  
**  
Steve is woken up at 6am on the 4th of July by Tony, who bursts into his room with a cupcake, iced with red, white and blue, one solitary candle shooting sparks and looking faintly dangerous. Tony himself looks slightly manic, eyes rimmed with red and hands twitching slightly.

Steve rubs his eyes and yawns widely. "What the heck, Tony?"

"Happy birthday, Cap!" Tony says, voice slurring.

Steve carefully takes the cupcake away. "Are you drunk, Tony? Why are you awake?"

Tony slumps down onto the bed, grinning. "Not drunk!" he says cheerfully. "But I haven't slept in 34 hours."

Steve sighs and blows out the candle. "You should sleep, Tony."

Tony beams at him, his smile a little loopy. "No, it's your birthday! I can't sleep!"

Steve stands up, puts the cupcake on the bedside table and gently pushes Tony down onto the bed, pulling the covers over him.

Tony groans and bats at Steve's hands. "Your birthday!" he says plaintively.

"It'll still be my birthday once you've slept," says Steve, trying not to smile. Tony would probably punch him if he said it out loud, but tired Tony, Tony with his guard down, is adorable, like a kid.

"Fine," grumbles Tony, his eyes closing. Steve smiles softly and tiptoes out the room.

* * *

Tony emerges from the bedroom fifteen hours later, rumpled and grumpy and looking much better, but still bleary-eyed. "Coffee," he says, eyes squinting at the light, "I need coffee."

Steve laughs. They- namely Thor, Natasha, Clint, Bruce, Pepper, Darcy, Jane and Coulson- have gathered in the communal 'Avengers' living room, watching reruns of Friends and eating junk food and pretending to be patriotic.

("Why is everyone eagles?" Thor had asked. Clint had laughed for about ten minutes and then told him not to use Tumblr again.)

"Coffee in the pot," Steve says, smirking. Tony grunts his thanks and stumbles into the kitchen.

He re-appears 15 minutes later with a giant mug of coffee and brighter eyes, throwing himself onto the couch between Darcy and Steve, and grins. "So happy birthday America, and happy birthday Steve!" he says happily. "I still can't believe Captain America's birthday is Independence Day."

Steve groans. "It's just a coincidence. Please will you stop?"

Tony chuckles. "Never, oh Captain my Captain."

Steve sighs and grabs a handful of popcorn, as Rachel and Ross have yet another romantic misunderstanding on screen.

Tony leans against him, sipping on his coffee, a warm presence at his side.

And Steve smiles.

* * *

They all end up on the roof, ready to watch the fireworks. Thor and Jane are snuggling on a blanket in the opposite corner from everyone else, and Steve is very carefully avoiding looking over at them. Clint and Natasha are sprawled across a couple of deck chairs (the most comfortable possible, of course. Tony never does anything by halves.) Darcy is telling stupid jokes to try and make Phil laugh. Bruce and Pepper are having a friendly debate about politics, sitting very close together. Steve smiles at the sight.

He himself is leaning against the balcony, the wind ruffling his hair, looking down at all the people in the street below.

"Hey Cap," Tony says, leaning beside him. "How are ya?"

"Fine," Steve says absent-mindedly.

Tony nudges him. "Were there fireworks for Independence Day back in your time?"

Steve chuckles. "Yeah. Bucky always used to tell me that the fireworks were all for me, on my birthday." He takes a deep breath, suddenly filled with longing- for his friend. He misses Bucky so much sometimes...

Tony puts a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Steve."

They stand there in silence for a minute, each lost in their own thoughts. And then Steve remembers something else that Bucky always said. _"If you want something, Stevey, you've got to go for it!"_

Steve smiles and turns towards him, suddenly realising how close they are. Tony's eyes are bright in the moonlight. Steve raises a hand, cupping Tony's cheek.

"Don't be sorry," he breathes. "Can I..?"

Tony lets out a breathless bark of laughter. "Yes," he says, almost silently, closing the gap between them.

Their lips meet, and it's like nothing Steve's felt before, and their friends whoop and cheer as the fireworks go off behind them, and Steve feels like the fireworks are for him- for _them._


End file.
